Senior Programme Manager, Vaccine Programmes

Group Company: GAVI

Position title: Senior Programme Manager, Vaccine Programmes

Position type: Temporary, ASAP until 30 June 2025

Location: Geneva

Purpose of the position: To manage and coordinate the implementation of Gavi’s Pentavalent, IPV, Hexavalent, and DTP-containing Vaccines Boosters Programmes.

Department: Programme Team

Team: Vaccine Programmes

Reports to: Head, Vaccine Programmes

N° of positions supervised (if applicable): 1

Career step level: 4

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership committed to saving children's lives and protecting people's health by increasing equitable use of vaccines in lower-income countries. The Vaccine Alliance brings together implementing country and donor governments, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry, technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private sector partners. Gavi uses innovative finance mechanisms, including co-financing by recipient countries, to secure sustainable funding and adequate supply of quality vaccines. Since 2000, Gavi has contributed to the immunisation of more than 981 million children and the prevention of more than 16 million future deaths.

THE ROLE

Please note this is a temporary role, until 30 June 2025.

The Vaccine Programmes team provides oversight and technical expertise to design and manage each of Gavi’s vaccine programmes. As vaccine and disease subject matter experts, the team supports the introduction of new vaccines through routine immunisation and preventive and outbreak response campaigns, as well as the strengthening of country diagnostic capacity to improve immunisation programme effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. Vaccine Programmes is the Secretariat team responsible for coordinating with global vaccine preventable disease-specific initiatives and works with Secretariat teams and Alliance stakeholders to ensure better prioritisation and optimisation of available vaccine products, presentations, and schedules most appropriate for specific country contexts.

Within the Vaccine Programmes team, the role of the Senior Programme Manager, Pentavalent, IPV, Hexavalent, and DTP-containing Vaccines Boosters is to manage and coordinate the implementation of these vaccine programmes.

Key deliverables:

Complete and close out IPV catch-up support window:

• Engage with Senior Country Managers (SCMs), Programme Managers (PMs), partners, and countries to ensure that each of the 4 countries that have yet to introduce IPV catch-up vaccination submits a quality application before the end of 2025;
• Identify opportunities to strengthen routine systems, encourage zero-dose considerations and integration with other interventions within these proposals, when appropriate;
• Close the support window, including follow-up with country’s reporting requirements, particularly on coverage rates.

Continue and accelerate roll-out of IPV second dose:

• Collaborate with country teams to advocate for and ensure submission of IPV2 applications, including follow up with prioritized countries (countries at high risk of polio importation and outbreak) to develop and submit quality plans for support of IPV2 introduction and ensure plans and budget development have sufficient technical support;
• Pre-screen and facilitate review and approval processes of country applications;
• Follow up on approval process of IPV2 applications to issuance of Decision Letters, regularly monitor country readiness and coordinate with relevant teams for disbursement of support and delivery of vaccines in time for introduction.

Support introduction of Hexavalent and DTP-containing Vaccine Boosters Programmes:

• Manage respective Alliance vaccine coordination teams and programme-specific meetings with relevant experts and stakeholders from the Gavi Secretariat, WHO, UNICEF, donors and others;
• Lead design, operationalisation, and implementation of these vaccine programmes, including soliciting partner input and contributing to development, dissemination, and updating of new funding guidelines and application materials;
• Pre-screen and facilitate review and approval processes of country applications;
• Track progress of learning agenda activities and technical assistance. Review deliverables and milestones ensuring high-impact activities, aligning to country plans and targets.

MAIN DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Responsible for managing the IPV, Pentavalent, Hexavalent, and DTP-containing Vaccine Boosters programmes.

Specific duties include:

• Manage the activities necessary for successful and timely switches and introductions in countries according to the approved proposals;
• Monitor decision letters, introduction dates, product choice, country readiness status (pre-launch), real time vaccine utilisation in country (post-launch activities including surveillance/coverage estimates), vaccine presentation specific supply status;
• Manage relevant vaccine programme information for implementation, monitoring and reporting purposes;
• Participate in cross-Alliance teams and partnerships with key stakeholders from the Gavi Secretariat, WHO, UNICEF, BMGF and others;
• Manage vaccine switches, whether requested by country or forced by supply situation, with objective of optimizing vaccine programmes in countries in the medium term;
• Support the updating and refinement of strategic demand forecasts including providing input into assumptions and scenarios;

• Serve as the focal point, product champion and disease area ‘expert’ in its assigned product area to internal and external stakeholders to provide:

  oRegular reporting on vaccine roll-out status against plan for key governance meetings (e.g. Programme and Policy Committee and Board) and on request by specific stakeholders when required.

  oVaccine specific information, including: product presentations, efficacy, safety, current suppliers, price points (in collaboration with Market Shaping team), and evolution of demand;

  oDisease area high level information such as burden of disease, vaccine cost effectiveness data, other treatment options and latest publications

QUALIFICATIONS

ACADEMIC

• Advanced university degree in Public Health, Public Policy, Epidemiology, Development, or related fields. 

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 8 years of cumulative work experience within the global health sector;
• Strong immunization programme management at country, regional and/or global level;
• Polio-specific and other VPD knowledge at country-level;
• Managing complex project management processes with multiple levels of stakeholders;
• Experience of advising senior leaders on prevention and control of VPDs;
• Expert knowledge and experience working with WHO, UNICEF, US CDC, BMGF and other actors (e.g., IFRC) in the polio arena;
• Field experience working in developing world settings with strong understanding of health and immunization systems in Africa, Asia and Latin America is an asset.
• Familiarity with Gavi processes.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

• Excellent project/programme management skills;
• Strong familiarity with global health and development;
• Solid knowledge of global health and development and vaccines and infectious diseases;
• Outstanding analytical and writing skills;
• Strong leadership and management skills;
• Excellent representational and communications skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious working relationships.

LANGUAGES

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required;
•      Fluency in French is an asset.

CONTACTS

• Gavi Secretariat;
• Gavi Alliance partners;
• UN, multilateral & bilateral donor agencies and civil society;
• Developing country governments.

If you wish to apply, please provide a cover letter and resume through our Careers webpage and apply by clicking on “Senior Programme Manager, Vaccine Programmes”. Deadline for applications 27 May 2024.

Please note that as a vaccine organisation and in order to provide duty of care towards its employees, Gavi is requiring its new employees to confirm that they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as a condition for pursuing employment with us. You can find out more by visiting this link. 

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In support of Gavi’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion, we hire globally and welcome applications regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, national origin, family status, sex, gender identity or expression, physical characteristics, race, religion, spirituality or sexual orientation. Gavi has zero tolerance towards sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse as well as any form of discrimination or harassment. Everyone at Gavi is expected to conduct themselves with integrity and respect towards each other. Gavi is committed to creating a work environment that is safe and professional, therefore all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference checks. Read more here.

Gavi brings together the public and private sectors to save lives and protect people’s health by increasing equitable and sustainable use of vaccines against 18 infectious diseases. You will be joining an organisation at the centre of the international COVID-19 response, at the most critical time in global health in a lifetime. You will work in a culturally diverse environment with over 70 nationalities. You will collaborate with partners such as WHO, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank – and from business, civil society and government. And you will work in the first global health organisation to receive equal gender salary certification. Your unique experience, skills and talents can help us achieve our vision of leaving no one behind without the life-saving power of vaccines.